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Roaring Tanker Fire Kills 7 in Afghan Capital

Residents and drivers watch burning oil tankers and trucks in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Residents and drivers watch burning oil tankers and trucks in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
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Roaring Tanker Fire Kills 7 in Afghan Capital

Residents and drivers watch burning oil tankers and trucks in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Residents and drivers watch burning oil tankers and trucks in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A searing blaze that roared through dozens of gasoline tanker trucks on the northern edge of the Afghan capital of Kabul killed seven people and injured 14 others, the Interior Ministry said Sunday.

Investigators were combing through the tankers that lay in smoldering ruins and a gas station caught in the flames that lit up the area late Saturday, said ministry spokesman Tariq Arian.

There was no immediate indication of whether it was an accident or sabotage.

Arian said the fire began when a spark set a fuel tanker ablaze. Nearby tankers were quickly engulfed, sending giant flames and plumes of smoke into the night sky. The fire in the northern edge of the city engulfed several homes and a nearby gas station. Several structures were destroyed and electricity to some parts of Kabul was knocked out.

Truck drivers Sunday blocked the road leading to the area demanding the government provide compensation.

The injured were being treated mostly for burns in local hospitals.

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Biden Approves Anti-personnel Mines for Ukraine

President Joe Biden walks to his limousine upon arriving on Air Force One late Tuesday, Nov. 19 2024, at Joint Base Andrews, from G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden walks to his limousine upon arriving on Air Force One late Tuesday, Nov. 19 2024, at Joint Base Andrews, from G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Biden Approves Anti-personnel Mines for Ukraine

President Joe Biden walks to his limousine upon arriving on Air Force One late Tuesday, Nov. 19 2024, at Joint Base Andrews, from G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden walks to his limousine upon arriving on Air Force One late Tuesday, Nov. 19 2024, at Joint Base Andrews, from G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden has approved provision of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine, a US official told Reuters, a step that could help slow Russian advances in its east, especially when used along with other munitions from the United States.
The United States expects Ukraine to use the mines in its own territory, though it has committed not to use them in areas populated with its own civilians, the official said. The Washington Post first reported the development.
The office of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian defence ministry, the Russian defence ministry and the Kremlin did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests to comment.
The United States has provided Ukraine with anti-tank mines throughout its war with Russia, but the addition of anti-personnel mines aims at blunting the advance of Russian ground troops, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The US mines differ from Russia's as they are "non-persistent," and become inert after a preset period, the official said. They require a battery to detonate, and will not explode once the battery runs out.
On Tuesday, Ukraine used US ATACMS missiles to strike into Russian territory, taking advantage of newly granted permission from Biden's outgoing administration on the war's 1,000th day.
Moscow said the use of ATACMS, the longest-range missiles Washington has yet supplied to Ukraine, was a clear signal the West wanted to escalate the conflict.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks.
The move followed months of warnings to the West that if Washington allowed Ukraine to fire US, British and French missiles deep into Russia, Moscow would consider those NATO members to be directly involved in the war in Ukraine.